Parish Bulletins

There are 68.2 million Catholics in the United States (22% of the U.S. population), and 1.07 billion Catholics in the world (17% of the population).

SAVE THE DATE

Annual Pancake Breakfast, Sunday Feb. 3rd

2018 Holy Days of Obligation

- Thursday, May 10 - Ascension of Jesus

- Wednesday, August 15 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

- Thursday, November 1 - All Saints' Day

- Saturday, December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception

- Tuesday, December 25 - Christmas

Parish Ministries

Would you like to make your faith experience more personal and meaningful? Your time and talents are most needed to help Saint Richard Parish continue to be the wonderful place that it is and continue to grow.

Please consider donating your time and talent to one of the Ministries listed below. We know you’ll be glad you did!

If you would like information about one of the following ministries, please click one of the underlined names to send an email, or call the organizer listed. Or register with us, and the appropriate ministry representative will be in touch. Thank you.

Altar Servers

Any parishioner, male or female, young (Grade 3 and up) or not so young, who wishes to assist in the celebration of the Mass are invited to participate. Please contact us at: StRichardAltarServer@yahoo.com

Church Cleaners

A volunteer group, which gathers each Saturday morning at the Church to do “housekeeping” for the Lords House. General cleaning and pickup is done to keep the Church neat and in order for the dignity of the celebration of Sunday Liturgy, Funerals, Baptisms, Weddings and any other celebration in the Church. It’s a great way to “Give Back” to the Lord. Please contact Dale D’Agnese, or Lorraine Bernier at 978-774-7575.

Commitment To Parish Life Program

The Commitment to Parish Life Program is a transformative program for Catholic parishes designed to ensure the viability and sustainability of parish life through sustained offertory and enhanced ministerial engagement based on the Stewardship model of giving of Time, Talent and Treasure.

Your time, and talent, is most valuable to us as a Parish Family. St. Richard’s is pleased to offer over 35 different Ministries that would welcome your participation, from Offertory Counters to Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors and Sacramental educators and so many more.

With regard to giving of your Treasures, the Offertory Commitment program is designed to allow you to consider making an individual annual commitment to support the Parish to ensure the challenges and expenses we face as a Parish are met in a timely manner. Your commitment can be fulfilled weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, whatever works best for your family budget. The Offertory Commitment program allow the parish to project, in advance of the weekly collections, the anticipated revenue for the year and make budgetary plans according.

To request a Commitment to Parish Life information packet, please click here.

Donut Crew

Hospitality plays an important part in building a warm community spirit. After the 9:00 Mass each week, (Summer excluded) our Donut Crew provide the ever popular Coffee and Donut Social downstairs in the Church Hall. We are always looking for families to volunteer to pick up the Donuts, make the coffee, set up or break down the service. If you have a helpful and hospitable spirit and can give one Sunday Morning a few times a year, please contact: Kevin Turner at 978-777-1111.

Eucharistic Ministers

We have four (4) separate Eucharistic ministries:

Church

Those who minister at the Lord’s table share in a simply task, but one which lives at the heart of who we are as Christian people: in our love of the Eucharist, and in our appreciation of what the church asks of us as servants in the Sunday assembly.

Visits are made to the Cedar Glen Nursing Home, Putnam Farms, and The Atrium at Veronica Drive. We spend time, pray with the sick, and bring them communion.

Putnam Farms Nursing Home - Luanne St. Pierre 978-777-2130

Cedar Glen Nursing Home – Dale D’Agnese 978-774-7575

Homebound

The faithful who are ill are deprived of their rightful and accustomed place in the Eucharistic community. In bringing communion to them, the minister of communion represents Christ and manifests faith and charity on behalf of the whole community toward those who cannot be present at the Eucharist. For the sick, the reception of communion is not only a privilege, but also a sigh of support and concern shown by the Christian community for its members who are ill.

Private Homes: Altie Nichols 978-777-1893

Hospital

A visit is made to Beverly Hospital every Sunday morning to visit and pray with the sick Catholic patients and bring them communion. If interested, please speak with Fr. Bruce after Mass or call the office at 978.774.7575.

Finance Committee

The Parish Finance Committee advises the Pastor with financial issues of the Parish. For more information, please see the Finance Committee page listed on the Home Page under Parish Information.

Knights of Columbus Council 1505

Dedicated to the principles of charity, fraternity, patriotism, and unity, the Order reflects a particular brand of lay Catholicism that has enriched the American Republic for more than a century. If interested in joining, please call: The Knights of Columbus office at 978-774-9574.

Lectors

Lectors proclaim the “Good News” during the Liturgy of the Word. Our role is to make the Word come alive, to Spread the Good News. Adults and High School students are invited to participate. For a free Lector Brochure, contact: John Call 978-739-9004, or email him at JDC01923@gmail.com.

Liturgy Committee

Following the guidelines of the Archdiocesan Office of Liturgy and Worship, the Liturgy Committee works to enhance our Parish Liturgies and Para-liturgical celebrations. This committee, along with the priest and Deacon, focuses on providing rich prayerful experiences through careful planning, overseeing, education and evaluation of the liturgical celebrations as to the rites, pastoral aspects, environment and music. New members are sought for a variety of special committees. Training is provided in workshops and classes. Contact Altie Nichols at 978-777-1893.

Liturgy Music Director

We are very fortunate to offer a diverse and vibrant music program through the talent of our Music Director, and all of our talented music enthusiasts. Our music team plans appropriate music, develops artistic skills, and encourages parishioners to share in the spirit of our music program. Whether it is with instrumental or choral performances, our Music Ministry reflects a diversity of spirit and interest that reflects our parish.

Please visit our Music Ministry Page for more information about the Children’s Choir, and Weddings, or contact Brenda Myers - Liturgical Music Director at (978) 597-5457.

Offertory Commitment

Our Offertory Commitment program, part of the Commitment to Parish Life initiative, is designed to allow you to consider making an individual annual commitment to support the Parish to ensure the challenges and expenses we face as a Parish are met in a timely manner. Your commitment can be fulfilled weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, whatever works best for your family budget. The Offertory Commitment program allow the parish to project, in advance of the weekly collections, the anticipated revenue for the year and make budgetary plans according. We appreciate your prayerful consideration of this program.

Outreach Programs

This committee is really the entire Parish community. Anyone and everyone is welcomed to join in and help carry out service projects throughout the year, with our focus on helping those most in need. Some project include our Back to School Drive, a Thanksgiving and Christmas Drive, among other, all of which bring help to those who struggle to make ends meet.

We are blessed to have a vibrant Outreach Program. Though this program, we also educate our parish on the needs of the global church though outreach efforts within our community. The lesson of outreach forms in our Religious Education program as our students embrace a variety of programs that embody the spirit of Christian service. Whether supporting Lazarus House, Haven for Hunger, Catholic Charities, or the like, our parish remains committed to offering support for others. To see a full list of the programs we support, please see the Outreach Tab listed on the Home Page under Ministries. All calls and inquiries should be directed to: Fr. Bruce Flannagan, Outreach Program 978-774-7575.

Prayer Group

Praying for our Parish, this group meets as needed, in the Chapel, typically from 7 - 8pm. Contact Pat Morrill at 978-777-1177.

People to People Food Pantry

The Danvers Food Pantry is one of our greatest and most utilized services that we offer to those in need of one life's most fundamental needs - food. The Food Pantry helps individuals and/or families with a temporary crisis food needs. We collect food at the 9:00 Mass each week, as well as special collections for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Volunteers take turns each week collecting the food brought to each Mass and delivering it to the Food Pantry on Monday mornings. For information, please contact our Parish Coordinator: Ray Gallant 978-535-5975.

Parish Council

The Parish Council is an advisory board to help the Pastor identify and address issues of Parish Life. For more information, please see the Parish Council page listed on the Home Page under Parish Information.

PRO-LIFE

We are proud to be a PRO-LIFE parish! On a routine basis numerous parishioners gather and pray for the abolition of abortion.

RCIA

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: RCIA brings people into the Catholic Faith. Ours is more of a conversion ministry and in the process, these new converts learn more about the Catholic Faith.

As a growing and sought after program, we are pleased to offer the opportunity for adults and children to grow in their understanding of our faith and to enter more fully into the life of the Church. So many folks, for one reason or another, may not have experienced all of the Sacraments of Initiation, and our team of dedicated volunteers offers a program of growth and faith transition. Contact Victoria Woodley or Larry Kucy at 978-774-7575.

Religious Education

In addition to supporting a parish school of 324 children from pre-school through eighth grade, we support a very large religious education program to 450 children in grades 1-10. Each year we bring over one hundred 2nd graders to the Sacrament of First Holy Communion, and over one hundred 10th graders to the Sacrament of Confirmation. We value not only their presence in our church community, but also their volunteer activities within our parish community. For more information please contact Sandra Ciruolo, Religious Education Director at 978-716-8083 or Colleen Newbury, Religious Education Coordinator at 978-716-8084.

Scouts

St. Richard is the Chartered Organization for two Cub Scout Packs and one Boy Scout Troop in Danvers.

Cub Scout Packs are made up of dens that correspond to Grades 1-5. There is a den leader for each which meets once a week for activities and work on requirements for badge achievements. Monthly Pack meetings are structured fun filled meetings with activities programmed by the Cubmaster, Pack Committee and den leaders.

Cub Scout Pack 155 is for boys in Smith and Highlands Elementary Schools. Den meetings vary, but Pack meetings are generally held in the downstairs hall at St. Richard Church around the fourth Friday of the month from 6:30 to 8:00. If interested in joining Pack 155 please contact: Membership Chair Jennifer Andrews – jenniferandrews978@gmail.com

Cub Scout Pack 58 is for boys in grades 1-5 in St. Mary’s of the Annunciation School. If interested in joining Pack 58 please contact: Cubmaster Barry Keenan – barrykeenan@yahoo.com

The Boy Scout Troop 155 is for young men in middle school and high school. Boy Scout patrols are led by the boy scouts and their patrol leaders. Pack meetings are held in the downstairs hall of St. Richard Church twice a month on the first and third Wednesday of every month. Any questions please call: David Wolniewicz at 978-774-6138.

Social Event Volunteers

This ministry is comprised of parishioners who are helping plan and execute the Parish Social Events. Events like new parishioner welcome, the spaghetti supper, Movie night, and the Parish Picnic are a few examples. If you would like to become involved in this wonderful ministry, either through the planning, staffing or communication of these events, please contact Kandi Kukas, at kjkukas@gmail.com. Please feel free to invite anyone who might be interested in giving a few hours back to the church through this very important ministry.

Ushers

First and foremost, Ushers are ministers of hospitality, greeting people who enter God’s House. They also assist with the collection, and help with emergencies that may arise at Mass, such as someone needing assistance. If you are interested in being an usher, see Fr. Bruce after Mass, or give him a call at 978-774-7575.